CSK-John Steptoe Award winner David Barclay Moore (The Stars Beneath Our Feet) offers upper middle-grade readers a resonant and evocative story in his sophomore novel, Holler of the Fireflies.
Twelve-year-old Javari Harris is excited to get away from home for the summer. The recent police killing of an unarmed Black man on Javari's block has his whole community on edge. His emotional stress is intensified by the fear of becoming unhoused: Javari's parents are unable to afford the rising cost of rent in swiftly gentrifying Bushwick and are on the verge of eviction from an apartment that has been in the family for three generations. When Javari's uncle suggests he apply to the STEM camp at Appalachian Ridge Christian College (ARCC) in Horsewhip Hollow, W.Va., the tween jumps at the opportunity to spend 14 "fun-filled days" with nothing to do but "build rockets, race boats, explore nature and learn code!"
At ARCC, he chooses to study math and science in addition to coding and is excited about a group contest to create a STEM project. The competition offers a chest full of prizes including cash, a perfect solution for Javari's family troubles. But Javari is shy, short for his age and insecure about his "crossways"-staring eye, and making friends at ARCC is difficult. Additionally, although the campers are a diverse group of children, Javari is somehow surrounded by racism (like Confederate flags). Then Javari meets a Black boy with freckles named Cricket, who is a local activist and occasional thief. The two become friends and Cricket shows Javari a different side of the holler while also introducing him to the little-known history of the ignored Affrilachians (African Americans living in Appalachia). Javari, now armed with new knowledge about the holler and a team of kids to work with, decides on the final STEM project for the contest. But will it be enough to win the prize?
In this outstanding novel, Moore covers topics such as friendship, racism, poverty, class, corporate greed, the opioid crisis and social justice. His thoughtful approach to big ideas is honest and his text attends to the topics in a way that allows middle-grade readers to understand and older readers to relate to them. Holler of the Fireflies is a feel-good book that still manages to go deep into heavy topics. This profound and proficiently written novel connects Appalachia's rich and sensitive past and present. --Natasha Harris, freelance reviewer
Shelf Talker: In this outstanding novel, a preteen from Brooklyn attends a STEM camp in a small Appalachian town and experiences a life-changing summer.